Noteworthy: A Rare Piece for Women's Chorus and Orchestra

L'Abbé Agathon
by Arvo Pärt
Recommended by Beth Willer

From Beth Willer:

Anyone who knows Arvo Pärt’s choral music well will be struck by the flexible and dramatic character of this adapted operatic work for SA chorus, soloists, and string orchestra. While remaining minimalist in its construction, it allows both the ensemble and soloists a freedom of tone and production, perhaps more akin to his operatic style than his choral style, and brings them directly into the ancient story as narrator. I came across “L'Abbé Agathon” when I was looking for a piece the Boston Conservatory Women’s Chorus could perform in 2013 for our annual concert with orchestra. As any conductor of women’s choruses well knows, repertoire with orchestra is hard to come by. Listening to a recording of this composition in its original version (a monodrama for soprano solo with 8 celli), I was particularly struck by Pärt’s economic yet profound monody in the solo soprano, its melodic integrity underlined by persistent gestures and evolving textures in the celli.

The adapted version naturally expands the solo line and low string sonorities to further define the voices of the narrator, Agathon, and the leper. The text, in French, relates the wonderful, ancient story of the abbot Agathon’s charity for a leper he encounters in the Egyptian desert. After Agathon does the poor man’s bidding for an entire day, the leper reveals himself as an angel of the Lord. In Pärt’s 2008 version, which adds a second soloist and the chorus, the piece becomes a conversation between Agathon (dramatic soprano) and the leper (alto or baritone), with the women’s chorus serving as narrator (primarily unison or two-part). As a result, he intensifies the sense of drama, drawing in the listener so effectively that one can almost imagine the work being staged (the original version was, in fact, transformed into a chamber opera by the American Opera Project in 2009, under supervision of Pärt himself).

Speaking practically, the piece is a quick learn for the chorus while remaining rewarding—it asks them to appreciate the quality of the melody they are singing as opposed to thinking vertically. Ensembles at many levels—children, high school, collegiate, adult—would find the chorus parts both compelling and manageable (English and French texts both exist in the Universal Edition). Additionally, it offers some excellent solo opportunities that advanced collegiate students (or young pros) can certainly carry. The work is also very approachable for good collegiate string players (assuming an appropriate number of violas and cellos to support the divisi). My singers loved it from the start. And when they heard their own unison set against the rich orchestral texture, they were completely sold.

Simply put, I found “L'Abbé Agathon” to be truly a flexible and enticing piece for performers and audiences alike. It’s one that I would absolutely do again, and encourage others to explore.

Date of premiere: March 11, 2008 (alternate version)
First performer: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Talinn Chamber Orchestra (alternate version)
Author/source of text: anonymous 4th century, in French (original in Coptic)
Length: 14 minutes
Parts: Soprano soloist and eight cellos (original version); SA, with soprano and alto (or baritone) soloists and string orchestra (alternate version)
Publisher: Universal Edition
Recording information: Tui Hirv, sop; Rainer Vilu, bar; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra/Tõnu Kaljuste (ECM New Series)

Access a YouTube version of “L'Abbé Agathon” here.

---

Founder and artistic director Beth Willer has led Lorelei Ensemble since 2007 to become recognized one of Boston's most highly regarded vocal ensembles. Committed to Lorelei’s mission to expansion of repertoire for the advanced women’s vocal ensemble, Willer has initiated collaborations with composers from the U.S. and abroad, leading the ensemble in numerous world, U.S. and regional premieres, while working to expose lesser-known works of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods for women’s voices.
 
In addition to her work with Lorelei, Willer currently serves as resident conductor of the Radcliffe Choral Society at Harvard University. Recently, Willer served as conductor of The Boston Conservatory Women's Chorus, as chorus master for the Boston Modern Orchestra's production of Michael Tippett's opera A Midsummer Marriage, and as conductor of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artist’s Chorus. Willer holds graduate degrees in conducting from Boston University (DMA and MM) and an undergraduate degree in Music Education from Luther College. Willer received Chorus America’s Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal in 2014.